COUPLES GUIDE
Here are some tips and tricks to get you two feeling comfortable and relaxed and ready for an awesome session. Couple’s sessions are supposed to be a really neat way for someone (us!) to document your coolness in your day to day life, in whatever way feels appropriate to you two. The last thing we want anyone to feel is like they’re not allowed to be themselves, or to cut loose and get wild and goofy around us. You’ll find a bunch of tips here for getting comfortable around us and with yourselves, tips on clothing, tips on posing and props, and so on!
Side note, these tips and “session suggestions” work for engagement shoots, couples sessions, bridal portraits, etc!
First pro tip: little things to watch out for. Make sure to take that hair elastic off your wrist if you have one! Scrunchies are super cute accessories on wrists, but black hair elastics are just distractions in photos! Same goes for wallets, phones, and keys in pockets! We can keep them in our backpack or camera bag that always stays with us so it’ll be safe, or you can toss those into a purse or off to the side somewhere, but these objects can make weird outlines in pants pockets.
Bring little props
Bring little props that mean something to you, especially at the beginning of the session because it’s a great way to get used to the camera in front of you when you have something to play with in your hands, or something to do that you’re comfortable with!
Question: Can booze be a little prop?
Of course booze can be a little prop!
Again, we are super serious when we say
we are down for you guys to do whatever,
we’re not here to judge,
and we want to embrace your inner goofballs. Seriously.
Please be the reason it hurts to laugh anymore from having too much fun.
Starting with a walk
If we are shooting outside, there is basically a 100% chance we’ll have you start by walking around and holding hands. Why? It’s easy! It gives you something to do with your hands again, it lets you keep a little bit of a distance away from us if you’re camera shy, it lets you talk with your partner while you walk, and lastly, one of our top tips is “bump hips”. This is a great way for couples to start getting a little goofy and playful as everyone loves to semi-competitively bump their partner around!
Once walking is all sorted and you’re starting to get that little bit of playful looseness flowin’, we can start to ramp it up a little bit. If you’re comfortable and up for the challenge, we are always game for a piggy back ride. Alright, pro tips for piggy back rides:
Keep some movement going. Sway back and forth, try to “buck” your partner off gently to elicit some laughs!
Try to alternate and kiss opposite cheeks, get really quick and playful with it. Try to kiss the cheek while your partner tries to avoid the kisses
Switch up the piggy backer!
For the experienced goofballs: shoulder ride anyone?
This is all about you two
If you have any ideas at all, please never feel any hesitation to bring them up or discuss them with us! We can always provide tips and ideas but its always so much more personal when it relates to who you both are!
Wear Flowy clothes & feel free to bring an outfit change
Pro Tips
If you wear flowy clothes, like a long dress, or loose flowing sweater, it can get some really amazing movement from any wind or actions you two may be acting out.
Logos can be distracting and can age the photos too quickly. Keeping a clean wardrobe without any distinct logos or markups can help the photos feel timeless
Don’t worry about bringing an outfit change! If you have a few looks you want to go for, we 100% encourage you to rock ‘em.
Show us your favourite picture of you
and let us know why it’s your favourite! It helps us to get to know you better and what you’re looking for
Sometimes, we may ask you to do wacky things
We are here to make you two laugh and have a good time, but most importantly capture those awesome moments with you looking your best! Sometimes something might feel a little uncomfortable but it turns out great in photos!
A couple’s session is also a really great opportunity to test out hair and makeup trials if this is an engagement session preceding a future wedding!
This has a few benefits:
You get to meet your make up and hair stylist. Do you jive with their personality? Do you jive with their style?
You get to see what the hair and makeup will be like. How do you feel when you see yourself afterwards?
You get to see how the process unfolds for just yourself, and can gauge the timeline better when it comes to the wedding day and your bridal party getting their hair and makeup done
Lastly, you get to see what that make up style and hair will look like in photos! Sometimes very subtle might not be too visible in pictures. Sometimes too heavy handed might make your eyes darker or fake lashes too heavy in the photos.
Lastly, you’ll look extra gorgeous in your engagement (or couple’s session) photos!
Bring some music
We try to bring our own music along to sessions, or if we forget, one of us will embarrassingly start singing something pretty badly (maybe you’ll even laugh at us!) but bringing your own music to the session is a great way to customize your own mood ahead of time. Do you want silly? High energy? Romantic? We’ve had Kanye on Vinyl, country music show downs, and people reliving their gangster paradise. Music is always a surefire way to unwind and feel more comfortable around your favourite human.
Be intentional with your hands. This is one of our biggest tips when doing a couple’s session, bridal formals, or any type of photos!
Always think of some point of contact that you could have with your hands. This really ties well into the classic Will Farrell bit from Talladega Nights hands bit where he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. So think of it this way: This is your partner. You want to show the world how much you love them and one of the best ways to convey that through images is to be aware of your points of contact. Can you be touching a hip, or a shoulder, or elbow? Could you be running your fingers up and down your partners forearm, or caressing their jawline? Could you be running your fingers through their hair or if you’re cuddling up, could you have your hands along thighs or touching toes?
Try to find a quiet area
When you envision your pictures, what sort of style fits you both? Are you more comfortable doing an in-home session? Are you outdoorsy and love getting lost in the wilderness? Is the city life more appealing than the country, perhaps you’d rather get a drink and some shots (heh) at a pub before walking down Whyte Ave. Let us know what best suits your style and personality
Try to make it a quieter area, especially if you’re feeling shy or nervous! When there are too many people around, it can be not only distracting for you to unwind and be yourselves, but it can also be a little distracting in the photos and background as well!
Let us know your thoughts and we can always throw out some location suggestions for you to think about
How much time should you expect
Couple sessions usually take about 1.5 hours
It’s better to give yourself 2 hours so that you don’t feel rushed. Remember, less stress is best. We want to make sure you’re feeling relaxed, comfortable, and yourselves
Does it actually take about 1.5 to 2 hours of shooting? Nah don’t worry! Especially if you’re shy or nervous. We like to budget in travel times if we’re doing multiple locations, outfit changing time, wandering around time, and just some downtime in between shooting to better get to you know both, and to allow for a more relaxed session.
we’re down for any weather
We’ve had fun in rain or shine, at sunrise or sunset, in snowy weather or overcast.
Unless it’s absolutely horrifically terrible out, lets embrace the weather! It can make for some of the best and most unique photos, and opens up the opportunity for creating memorable photos
Lastly, we always recommend trying to have a session either at sunrise (and 1 hour after) or at sunset (and 1 hour beforehand).
This allows for the most flattering lighting. It will be softer on the face and facial features, it’ll have a beautiful glow that will compliment your skin, and it will be low in the sky (closer to the horizon) so the light will be hitting you straight on instead of from above (see ya later yuckie raccoon eye shadows from mid-day sun!)